Research and Development in STEM Education
- Over 25 years of experience in postsecondary STEM education research.
- Expertise in both qualitative and quantitive research methods.
- Major areas of research include:
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
- STEM Education Reform
Selected Papers and Grants
“Faculty Online Learning Communities for Gender Equity, Targeting Department Level Change in STEM”
(2021-2026) NSF-ADVANCE #2152524 ($1,037,871)
Co-PI’s Apriel Hodari, Samantha Elliot, Kelly Mack.
“Collaborative Research: Evaluating the Uptake of Research-Based Instructional Strategies in Undergraduate Chemistry, Mathematics, & Physics”
(2017-2020)
NSF–1726042 ($1,178,904)
CO-PI’s Charles Henderson, Estrella Johnson, Marilyne Stains, Jeff Raker.
“What Do Physicists From Majority Groups Know and Believe about Race and Gender?”
NSF-1712436 ($299,209)
CO-PI: Apriel Hodari;
2017-2020.
Slides from APS Invited Panel on “See No Bias, Hear No Bias, Speak for No Change“
“Workshops and Learning Communities for Physics and Astronomy Faculty”
2014-2019.
NSF-DUE (1431779)
($1,884,118) CO-PI’s Hilborn, B., Hodapp, T., Turpen, C., & Turley, S.
https://www.aapt.org/Conferences/newfaculty/fac_online_Learn_Comm.cfm
https://www.aapt.org/Conferences/newfaculty/nfw.cfm
“Community College Roots of STEM: Interactive Influences of Individual, Secondary School, & College Factors Predicting the Success of Underrepresented Groups”
NSF-DRL 2014-2019
(1420350), ($1,708,603)
CO-PI’s Stearns, E., Mickelson, R., Moeller, S., Bottia, M. Allen, D.
“Collaborative Research: Sustainable Diffusion of Research-Based Instructional Strategies: A Rich Case Study of SCALE-UP”
NSF-TUES, 2012-2015
($499,992) DUE-1223405.
CO-PI’s: Charles Henderson and Robert Beichner.
“From Dissemination to Adoption: A Study of the Instructional Change Process in Faculty Most Likely to Succeed”
NSF-CCLI, 2010-2013
($250,000) DUE-1065714
CO-PI: Charles Henderson.
“Finding the roots: interactive influence of individual, high school, and college institutional factors on the success of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM majors”
NSF-STEP, 2010-2014
($1,290,997) DUE-0969286
CO-PI’s: Elizabeth Stearns, Roslyn A Mickelson.
“Understanding Instructor Practices and Attitudes Towards the Use of Research-Based Instructional Strategies In Introductory College Physics”
NSF-CCLI, 2008-2010
($331,143) DUE-0715698
CO-PI: Charles Henderson.
“Open-source Physics EducatioN: OPEN”
2002-2005
National Science Foundation’s Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement Program
($499,515) DUE-0126439
CO-PI’s: Mario Belloni, Wolfgang Christian.
(Full list available upon request)
Papers related to educational transformation and faculty development
Evaluating the impact of malleable factors on percent time lecturing in gateway chemistry, mathematics, and physics courses
International Journal of STEM Education, 9(1), 1-23, (2022)
Yik, B. J., Raker, J. R., Apkarian, N., Stains, M., Henderson, C., Dancy, M. H., & Johnson, E. Price, E., Lau, A. C., Goldberg, F., Turpen, C., Smith, P. S., Dancy, M., & Robinson, S. (2021).
Analyzing a faculty online learning community as a mechanism for supporting faculty implementation of a guided-inquiry curriculum.
International Journal of STEM Education, 8(1), 1-26
Apkarian, N., Henderson, C., Stains, M., Raker, J., Johnson, E., & Dancy, M. (2021)
What really impacts the use of active learning in undergraduate STEM education? Results from a national survey of chemistry, mathematics, and physics instructors.
(2019) Plos one, 16(2), e0247544.
Dancy, M., Lau, A. C., Rundquist, A., & Henderson, C.
Faculty online learning communities: A model for sustained teaching transformation.
(2019) Physical Review Physics Education Research, 15(2), 020147
Foote, K., Henderson, C., Knaub, A., Dancy, M., & Beichner, R.
Try, Try Again: The Power of Timing and Perseverance in Higher Education Reform.
(2018) Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 51(1), 50-57.
Henderson, C., Khan, R. & Dancy, M.
Will my student evaluations decrease if I adopt an active learning instructional strategy?
Physical Review Physics Education Research. 86.
Featured in Science http://science.sciencemag.org/content/363/6425/361.5
Lau, A., Dancy, M., Henderson, C., & Rundquist, A.
Illustrating a Faculty Community’s Productive Teaching Talk and the Facilitation Moves That Supported It
Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, Summer 2018
Reinholz, D., Corbo, J., Dancy, M., Deetz, S., and Finkelstein, N. (2017)
Departmental Action Teams: Supporting Faculty Learning Through Departmental Change.
Learning Communities Journal
Lau, A., Dancy, M., Corbo, J., Henderson, C. and Rundquist, A.
The importance of community formation in faculty online learning communities.
Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, Summer 2017.
Dancy, M., Lau, A., Corbo, J., Henderson C., and Rundquist, A.
Participants’ perceptions of the Faculty Online Learning Community (FOLC) experience.
Juried paper, Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, Summer 2017.
Dancy, M., Henderson, C., & Turpen, C. (2016)
How faculty learn about and implement research-based instructional strategies: The case of Peer Instruction.
Physical Review Physics Education Research, 12(1), 010110
Turpen, C., Dancy, M., & Henderson, C. (2016)
Perceived affordances and constraints regarding instructors’ use of Peer Instruction: Implications for promoting instructional change.
Physical Review Physics Education Research, 12(1), 010116
Joel C. Corbo, Daniel L. Reinholz, Melissa H. Dancy, Stanley Deetz, and Noah Finkelstein
Framework for transforming departmental culture to support educational innovation, Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res.
12, 010113 (2016)
Foote, K., Knaub, A., Henderson, C, Dancy, M., & Beichner, R. J. (2016)
Enabling and challenging factors in institutional reform: The case of SCALE-UP.
Physical Review Physics Education Research, 12(1), 010103
C. Corbo, A. Rundquist, C. Henderson, and M. H. Dancy
Using Asynchronous Communication to Support Virtual Faculty Learning Communities
Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference Summer 2016
Rundquist, A., Corbo, J., Martinuk, S., Chasteen, S., Henderson, C., & Dancy, M
Faculty Online Learning Communities to Support Physics Teaching
Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, Summer 2015
Henderson, C., Turpen, C., Dancy, M., & Chapman, T. (2014)
Assessment of teaching effectiveness : Lack of alignment between instructors , institutions , and research recommendations.
Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research, 10 (1)
Foote, K. T., Neumeyer, X., Henderson, C., Dancy, M. H., & Beichner, R. J. (2014).
Diffusion of research-based instructional strategies: The case of SCALE-UP.
International Journal of STEM Education, 1(1)
Dancy, M. H., Henderson, C., & Smith, J. H. (2014)
Understanding Educational Transformation : Findings from a Survey of Past Participants of the Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop
Proceedings of the 2013 Physics Education Research Conference (pp. 113–116). Portland, OR
Henderson, C., Dancy, M., & Niewiadomska-Bugaj, M. (2012)
The Use of Research-Based Instructional Strategies in Introductory Physics: Where do Faculty Leave the Innovation-Decision Process?,
Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research, 8 (2), 020104
Dancy, M. (2012)
Faculty Interviews as a Mechanism to Study STEM Education
A White Paper commissioned for the AAAS Measurement Workshop, December 17-19 in Washington DC.
Dancy, M., & Henderson, C. (2011)
Experiences of New Faculty Implementing Research-Based Instructional Strategies
Proceedings of the 2011 Physics Education Research Conference
Lee, M., Dancy, M., Henderson, C., & Brewe, E. (2011)
Success and Constraints in the Enactment of a Reform
Proceedings of the 2011 Physics Education Research Conference
Henderson, C., & Dancy, M. (2011)
Increasing the Impact and Diffusion of STEM Education Innovations
A White Paper commissioned for the Characterizing the Impact and Diffusion of Engineering Education Innovations Forum, New Orleans, LA, Feb 7-8, 2011
Dancy, M. & Henderson, C. (2010)
Pedagogical Practices and Instructional Change of Physics Faculty
American Journal of Physics, Physics (Physics Education Research Section), 78(10), 1056-1063
Henderson, C. & Dancy, M. (2009)
The Impact of Physics Education Research on the Teaching of Introductory Quantitative Physics in the United States
Physical Review Special Topics: Physics Education Research, 5 (2), 020107
Henderson, C. & Dancy, M. (2008)
Physics Faculty and Educational Researchers: Divergent Expectations as Barriers to the Diffusion of Innovations.
American Journal of Physics (Physics Education Research Section). 76 (1), 79-91
Henderson, C., & Dancy, M. (2009)
Physics Faculty and Educational Researchers: Divergent Expectations as Barriers to the Diffusion of Innovations.
Annals of Research on Engineering Education, 4 (2)
Dancy, M, Brewe, E. & Henderson, C. (2008).
Modeling Success: Building Community for Reform
(Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, 2007)
Dancy, M. & Henderson, C. (2008)
Barriers and Promises in STEM Reform.
Paper commissioned for Workshop on Linking Evidence and Promising Practices in STEM Undergraduate Education, The National Academies Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
Henderson, C. & Dancy, M. (2007)
Barriers to the use of research-based instructional strategies: The dual role of individual and situational characteristics.
Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research. Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 3, 020102
Dancy, M. & Henderson, C. (2007)
A Framework for Articulating Instructional Practices and Beliefs
Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research, 3(1), 010103.
Papers related to equity
Racism, sexism and disconnection: Contrasting experiences of Black women in STEM before and after transfer from community college.
International Journal of STEM Education.
Allen, D., Dancy, M., Stearns, E., Mickelson, R., Bottia, M. (Accepted/pending, Feb. 2022).
Undergraduates’ awareness of White and male privilege in STEM.
International Journal of STEM Education, 7(1), 1-17.
Dancy, M., Rainey, K., Stearns, E., Mickelson, R., & Moller, S. (2020).
Do Relative Advantages in STEM Grades Explain the Gender Gap in Selection of a STEM Major in College? A Multimethod Answer.
American Educational Research Journal
Stearns, E., Bottia, M. C., Giersch, J., Mickelson, R. A., Moller, S., Jha, N., & Dancy, M. (2019).
Descriptive Study of Race and Gender Differences in How Instructional Style and Perceived Professor Care Influence Decisions to Major in STEM
A International Journal of STEM Education
Rainey, K., Dancy, M., Mickelson, R., Stearns, E., Moller, S. (2019)
Race and gender differences in how sense of belonging influences decisions to major in STEM
International Journal of STEM Education, 5 (10)
Rainey, K., Dancy, M., Mickelson, R., Stearns, E. & Moller, S. (2018).
STEM Majors’ Perceptions of Racism and Sexism in STEM
Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, Summer 2017
Rainey, K., Dancy, M., Mickelson, R., Stearns, E., and Moller, S.
“Family Matters: Familial Support and African American Female STEM Success,” In Contemporary African American Families: Achievements, Challenges, and Empowerment Strategies in the 21st Century
D. Ruiz-Smith and S. Lawson Clark (editors). New York: Routledge-Taylor & Francis.
Mickelson, Roslyn Arlin, Ashley Parker, Elizabeth Stearns, Stephanie Moller, and Melissa Dancy. 2016.
The Myth of Gender Neutrality
Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, 2003
Dancy, M. (2004)
Other topics
Comparison of student evaluations of instruction vs. students’ conceptual learning gains
American Journal of Physics 86, 531 (2018)
Lee, L., Connolly, M., Dancy, M., Henderson, & C. Christensen, W. (2018)
The Student-Centered Activities for Large Enrollment Undergraduate Programs (SCALE-UP) project
in PER_Based Reform in University Physics
edited by E F Redish and P. J. Cooney (American Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, MD).Beichner, R. J., Saul, J. M., Abbott, D. S., Morse, J. J., Deardorff, D. L., Allain R. J., Bonham, S. W., Dancy, M. H. and Risley, J. S. (2007).
Incorporating Active Learning in Large Introductory Physics Classes: The SCALE-UP Project
Submitted toPhysical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research
Saul, J., Beichner, R., Abbott, D., Morse, J., Deardorff, D., Allain, R., Bonham, S., Dancy, M., Risley, J.
Impact of Animation on Assessment of Conceptual Understanding in Physics
Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research, 2(1), 010104
Dancy, M. & Beichner, R. (2006)
Effects on Assessment Caused by Splits Between Belief and Understanding
Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference 2003
McCaskey, T., Dancy, M., & Elby, A. (2004).
Teaching with Physlets: Examples from Optics,The Physics Teacher
40(9), pp. 494-499
Dancy, M., Christian, W. & Belloni, M. (2002).
But Are They Learning? Getting Started in Classroom Evaluation
Cell Biology Education, 1(3), pp. 87-94
Dancy, M. & Beichner, R. (2002).
Physics Education Research
In Christian, W. & Belloni, M.,Physlets(pp.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall
Titus, A. & Dancy, M. (2000).
Investigating Animations for Assessment Using an Animated Version of the Force Concept Inventory
Doctoral Dissertation under the direction of Robert Beichner.
Dancy, M. (2000).
Participants’ perceptions of the Faculty Online Learning Community (FOLC) experience
Juried poster presentation at the Physics Education Research Conference, Summer 2017. Invited.
Dancy, M., Lau, A., Corbo, J., Henderson, C. and Rundquist, A.
Impacts of Lecture-based Teaching and Faculty Disconnection on STEM Majoring
Contributed Talk and Contributed Poster, AAPT summer meeting 2016, Sacramento, CA
Dancy, M., Rainey, K., Stearns, E., Mickelson, R., & Moller, S.,
Power and Privilege in STEM
Invited all day workshop for STEM faculty at Depauw University
Dancy, M. (May, 2016)
“From Deficit Model of Women and Minorities to White Male Privilege: A Reframing for New Growth”
2015 Summer AAPT Meeting: College Park, Maryland. Invited
Dancy, M.
A Widely Disseminated, Discipline Crossing, Radical Reform: The SCALE-UP Story
American Association of Physics Teachers Summer Meeting and Physics Education Research Meeting. Minneapolis, MN. Invited
Dancy, M., Foote, K., Henderson, C., Neumeyer, X., & Beichner, B. (July 2014)
Race and Gender and Leaving STEM: Preliminary Results of the Roots of STEM Project
Contributed poster Physics Education Research Conference, Minneapolis, MN
Dancy, M., Stearns, E., Mickelson, R., Moller, S., & Bottia, M. (July 2014)
Educational Transformation in Higher Education STEM. Workshop on the Status of the Upper-Division
Physics Curriculum
Oregon State University. Invited
Dancy. M., Henderson, C., Turpen, C., Lee, M., Brewe, E., Beichner, B., Foote, K. & Neumyer, X. (June, 2014)
Confidence and the Imposter Syndrome
Women in RUME Conference. Denver, CO
Invited.Dancy, M. (Winter 2014).
Faculty Interviews as a Mechanism to Study STEM Education
Measurement of Teaching Practices in Undergraduate STEM Workshop (American Association for the Advancement of Science), Washington DC. Invited
Dancy, M. & Henderson, C. (Dec. 2012)
Transformation in STEM: Why has it been limited and how can it be accelerated?
Plenary talk, Transforming Research in Undergraduate STEM Education (TRUSE), St. Paul MN. Invited
Dancy, M. (June 2012) Educational
Beyond mentors, summer programs and fellowships: A new model for understanding and changing the gender imbalance in physics?
International Conference on Women in Physics, Cape Town, South Africa. Invited
Dancy, M. (April 2011)
Beyond Dissemination: Sustained Reform in STEM
Panel participant and presentation at the Dissemination of CCLI Educational Innovations Study Group Workshop, Washington DC
Dancy, M., Henderson, C. & Turpen, C. (Jan. 2010)
Climb On!
Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church address, Charlotte NC. Invited
Dancy, M. (November 2009).
Community, Connectedness, and Web 2.0: Changing the World One Friend at a Time
Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church address, Charlotte NC. Invited
Dancy, M. (July 2009).
Barriers and Promises in STEM Reform: Part I Examining the Development and Dissemination Change Model
Workshop on Linking Evidence and Promising Practices in STEM Undergraduate Education, The National Academies Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education Center for Education, Washington DC. Invited
Dancy, M. & Henderson, C. (Oct. 2008).
May You Live in Interesting Times
Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church address, Charlotte NC. Invited
Dancy, M. (June 2008)
White Privilege
Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church address, Charlotte NC. Invited
Dancy, M. (June 2007)